A short beer review

July 03, 2014

Feeling like a small treat I took myself into Plonk this afternoon (2 July?) and acquired a few Pommie beers. Purely from an educational point of view here are some thoughts on the outcome. (This will be updated as the other samples get tested to destruction.)

Marstons Oyster Stout: at 4.5% ABV this is not a particularly robust stout but it definitely rates as pleasant plus. A little bitter but good complexity in aftertaste. Not as choclatety as some some samples, but I can certainly see it going down nicely with a dozen of Coffin Bay's finest. (In passing Iwill note the strange message about cookies on the linked site. That seems to pop up on many UK websites recently: presumably it is a Laura Norder requirement.)
SEcond cab off the rank is Box Steam Brewery,from Holt in Wiltshire UK offering up Derail Ale. An IPA with considrable merit, albeit relatively little ABV (5.2%). Very hoppy - I can still summon the aftertaste some 90 minutes after finishing the bottle. It drank very well despite travelling several kilometres today!
The final item here is back to Marstons for their Strong Pale Ale. At 6.2% ABV it certainly gets the strong bit undercontrol and it did have the characters of a good Pale Ale. Unfortunately the test was hardly fair as the bottle had got a trifle shaken in transit. Possibly also stirred as it erupted when opened. Worth another try under better circumstances.

In September I acquired some other beers through Woolworths and have now tested them.

Dalgety Blonde Ale: Mid-strength at 4.0% but very refreshing. It had a fair bit of complexity to the taste buds. Considerably cheaper than the Pommie offerings from Plnk so rates highly. (What a nice life - live in Dalgety, outside Cooma, and brew beer.)
Murrays Whale Ale: Nothing to do with the River this Wheat Beer comes from Port Stephens and is named after the cetaceans which migrate past that town. Initially I thought it was OK but not exciting: that was because I'd had a Dalgety first. A second test - one has to check these things - and I found it to be very inteesting and refreshing. Well done that Humpback!

Both the above enterprises offer other brews which will require examination.

I was then struck with thirst outside the Liquor-license enhanced IGA in Yarrawonga (Vic) in late September. They provided:

Cascade Stout: a very nutty offering at 5.8%. Very tasty but approach with care!
Abbotsford Invalid Stout. Quite OK but not as tasty as the Cascade (as might be expected from a CUB product). At 5.2% not as headache inducing either!